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Knowing what we do about the writers, what would you think they were trying to do? Is Angel supposed to be a spiritual counterpoint to Buffy?

I think that they are very interested in the question of how to atone for the sins of the past when those sins are so grievous. We see some of the scenes from Angel's past through flashbacks. We see him murder a young woman, a maid, and then she begs for her life because of her baby. He makes some glib comment about how he's going to eat the baby, too. This is hard stuff. We see some of the things that Angel has done, we see the monster that he was, and then it makes us appreciate his struggle all the more.

You say ultimately the message of both Buffy and Angel seems to be that although it's great for us to have our own quests and spiritual journeys, it doesn't mean anything unless it's in the service of others. How does Angel's service for good define him and the show Angel? And what motivates that desire?

It is this constant quest for atonement. It's been interesting in these last few weeks of Angel to see what's going on with his character and to imagine how they're going to go out. He's making decisions that put people's lives in jeopardy, he's not caring about the innocent people that he used to care about, that he used to get out on the streets of LA to fight for. It really makes us wonder what's going on. As it turns out, he has made this choice so that he can go after all the big guns of evil if he wins their trust. To win their trust, he has to show them that he doesn't care about the little person anymore. So it's kind of a ruse, but he does make this decision that causes several people's death. Again, it raises that issue, which is more important? The big picture or these people?

How are the group dynamics of the characters on Angel different than they were in Buffy?

I think that Angel is a darker show. The characters are older. They've been through quite a lot, not only together but in their own journeys, and the issues that they deal with are a little bit different. They're not coping with not getting asked to the senior prom. They're beyond that. Buffy is a mature show, but Angel is a show that really is geared more for the adult mindset.

What did Angel bring to the culture that wasn't there in Buffy?

I would have to say it is the constant question of redemption. Where does it lie? Will I ever make up for the sins of my past? I know people whose sins are far less serious than Angel's, who never seem able to forgive themselves, can't move on, can't move past it. I think Angel, as a show, has provided some very interesting examples of how that happens.

What do you think creator Joss Whedon was able to do with Angel that he couldn't do with Buffy?

He explored some darker themes that he only got to toward the end of Buffy, as those characters had matured and been through some very serious things. But Angel begins from that place. Angel has been around for more than two centuries and he has seen and done just about everything that there is to see and do.

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May (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48